Recently in complex care Category

Fred Hosier of SafetyNewsAlert.com reports that a jury in Chicago has awarded the largest individual verdict in a popcorn lung disease case. A jury awarded $30.4 million to Gerardo Solis who has worked for about 20 years in plants that processed diacetyl, a butter flavoring commonly used as a popcorn flavoring. Read the entire story Jury awards $30.4 million in worker's popcorn lung lawsuit.  

Physician Dispensing in Florida

For an interesting take on physician dispensing in Florida, read Joe Paduda's recent blog post on the topic -- MCM's Investigative Reporting -- physician dispensing in Florida. Not only does Joe give you his honest opinion on why this topic should be causing you heartburn, he provides an excellent "peek behind the curtain" in terms of some of the players in the current political race for the governor's office in Florida. Very interesting reading.

Remembering Katrina

And if you haven't yet had enough of the news networks' review of what happened five years ago when Katrina redesigned New Orleans, here is a great piece by Julie Ferguson of Workers' Comp Insider, see Remembering Katrina. She does a fantastic job of correlating the devastation Katrina caused to the health issues that still prevail in the area. Sadly, while there has been a great deal of rebuilding of the physical structures there, and much has been accomplished, the toll has been very high on the health and emotional well-being of the residents there.

And one final thought on Katrina, watch the trailer for The Big Uneasy, a film by Harry Shearer, actor/comedian and New Orleans resident. The film played on the big screen for one day, August 30, to mark the five year anniversary of Katrina. It is a documentary film that explores whether or not the devastation Katrina caused was a natural or a man-made disaster. Hoping it will be available on DVD soon...

Twenty years ago this week, President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Although the ADA legislation included sweeping reforms intended to improve the lives of Americans with disabilities, there is still much debate over the cost and litigation associated with it. The ADA laws regulate employment practices, federal and local programs, transportation, public accommodations and commercial facilities.

Statistics: The Census Bureau claims that 54 million people have a disability - that's almost 1 in 5 Americans. More than 15 million people 15 years or older currently use a wheelchair.

News, information and events regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act:

MV-1 Wheels Across America Tour - Debuts the first factory-built wheelchair accessible vehicle

Disabilities debate rages 20 years later - an article by CNN.com

ADA Anniversary - a website devoted to events and information about the 20th anniversary of ADA

Disability.gov - a website connecting the disability community to information and opportunities; includes an announcement by President Obama

Disability Blog - a blog about the latest disability-related news, information and trends.

President Obama describes important updates to ADA

Does your claimant need disability ramping installed to access their home? Having ramping or other home modifications installed for injured workers is a big responsibility. And costly. The next time you need to purchase or install ramping for a claimant, Cara Barde, President of Total Medical Solutions, encourages you to consider the benefits of aluminum over wood:

Aluminum Ramping:

1. Maintenace Free
2. Does not rust or decay (aluminum lasts for 100+ years)
3. Easy assembly with minimum tools
4. No building permit required
5. Can easily be expanded, reconfigured or moved
6. Aluminum ramping is an asset that can be reused, resold or rented
7. Installed in less than an hour!
8. No environmental impact

Wood Ramping:

1. Requires regular maintenance
2. Will rot or decay over time
3. Must be installed by a contractor or carpenter (increases costs)
4. Requires a building permit (increases costs and time)
5. Reconfiguration must be made by demolition and reconstruction
6. No resale value; could actually lower the value of the home
7. Typical installation takes 2 to 3 days
8. Could include dangerous chemicals or applied treatments

As you can see, there are many benifits to using aluminum vs. wood disability ramping. In addition to the benefits of using aluminum ramping as outlined above, when you purchase your ramping through Total Medical Solutions, you can:

• "Bank" your aluminum ramping - when it is no longer being used by your claimant, the insurance carrier can reuse the ramping for future claimants for a substantial cost savings
• Rent aluminum ramping for temporary needs
• Reconfigure aluminum ramping sections to fit any home
• Easily move aluminum ramping to a new home if your claimant moves
• Rest assured that the aluminum ramping we sell is dependable, durable and American made

For more information about aluminum disability ramping, anytime, anywhere you need access, please contact Total Medical Solutions at 1-800-700-9393 or visit www.NewTMS.com

Cara Barde, President of Total Medical Solutions is proud of her employees. So why is she calling them Big Fat Total Losers? Because they are! A story on the front page of the Orlando Sentinel yesterday confirmed it. Read Sanford company gets leaner - in a positive way.

Total Medical Solutions launches it's very own Biggest Loser contest.

These days, employees at Total Medical Solutions are talking about weight. That's because they have launched their very own version of The Biggest Loser contest. Twenty five (25) out of seventy one (71) employees signed up for the contest and after 12 weeks have lost a total of 400 pounds!

Incentives vary, but success is total.

Nancy Perez, Home Health Account Coordinator for Total Medical Solutions, found that being accountable to her teammates made all the difference for her. She has lost 37 pounds. The fact that her teammates are counting on her provides the incentive she needs to stay focused and committed to the program.

Paulette Howard, also a Home Health Account Coordinator, has lost 47 pounds. She admits that at first she wasn't really interested in the contest. She had tried Weight Watchers before and found that it really didn't work for her. She did, however, jump at the chance for a cash prize. After getting into the program she found that cash really wasn't the thing that motivated her. She says, "It's the camaraderie that I've developed with my new 'loser' friends."  

Kevin Glennon, Vice President of Clinical Services for TMS, often lectures company executives about the added costs of obesity in workers' compensation claims. He has lost 68 pounds.

Wellness programs: a good way to address obesity?

As the writer of the Orlando Sentinel article points out, obesity is a big problem for Americans. Obesity rates have steadily climbed over the past few decades and it is well documented that obesity complicates other health risks and issues. Personalized corporate wellness programs like these are likely to become more popular as corporate America embraces the idea coupled with incentives provided by the new healthcare reform.

Are you involved in the clinical management of catastrophic claims? If so, it is important to establish a checklist to ensure you consider all the needs of the injured worker. Having a checklist will help you cover all the necessary bases and aid you in providing the right level of care.

Kevin Glennon, Vice President of Clinical Services for Total Medical Solutions, suggests the following checklist as a tool to help in the clinical management of catastrophic claims:

1. What is the level of injury and resultant deficit in functional ability?
2. What are the basic equipment needs of the injured worker?
3. What soft goods (daily supplies) are needed to complete daily living skills?
4. Are there any home modifications / accommodations that need to be implemented?
5. Identify any specific concerns that are associated with the level of disability.
6. Will the injured worker need assistance on a daily basis? If so, for how many hours? What level of home care does the patient need?
7. What are the ongoing medication needs? Will they change? If so, identify intervals for re-evaluation.
8. Is the patient obese? Consider the physical changes that may occur and be ready to adjust care / needs accordingly.
9. What clinical care partners do you need to engage to ensure the best treatment results for your patient?
10. Identify regular intervals for re-evaluating the needs of your catastrophic claim patient.

Kevin also highly recommends finding a clinical care partner that specializes in catastrophic claim management for workers' compensation patients. Total Medical Solutions coordinates case and clinical strategies to ensure the most appropriate, yet cost-effective treatment plans and results. Your clinical care provider should be an integral partner in the advancement of positive outcomes for your injured workers.

For more detailed information on the clinical management of catastrophic workers' compensation claims, contact Total Medical Solutions at 1-800-700-9393 or visit them online at www.NewTMS.com

Zack Craft,  vice president of rehabilitation technology and complex care for Total Medical Solutions, encourages a standing feature integrated into a wheelchair base whenever possible for injured workers confined to a wheelchair. While these types of wheelchairs are more expensive on the front end, they provide for greatly improved mobility and enhanced wellness of the patient. Thus, they provide for much better outcomes over the life of the claim. 

Wheelchair Standing Defined.

Wheelchairs with built in standing features allow the patient to obtain a standing position without transferring from the wheelchair. Such wheelchairs incorporate a mechanical or electromechanical system manipulated with levers or controls that move the seat from horizontal to a vertical or anteriorly sloping position while maintaining verticality of the legrests and backrest, thus extending the hips and knee joints. A full vertical standing position is achieved directly from sitting, or through gradual angle changes from a laying position, or a combination of either of these positions. Most wheelchair standers allow for full or partial extension of the hip and knee joints, and full upright or partially tilted positions.

Benefits of standing include:

• Improved functional reach to enable participation in ADLs (Activities of Daily Living)
• Enhanced independence and productivity
• Vital organ capacity is greatly improved
• Reduced occurrence of urinary tract infections
• Bone mineral density loss reduced or eliminated
• Improved circulation; reduced swelling in extremeties
• Reduced abnormal muscle tone and spasticity
• Occurrence of pressure sores reduced
• Diminished occurrence of skeletal deformities
• Enhanced physiological well being

Additional benefits of standing wheelchairs include: reduced fatigue, ability for some male patients to use public urinals, a reduction in the need for attendant care, reduced transfers and reduced home modifications.

One of the chairs Zack recommends to patients is the Permobil C500 VS.

For more information on standing wheelchairs, or other assitive technology devices, please contact Total Medical Solutions.

Today's post is about how the simplest of changes can make a big difference. When you're talking about a person who has been injured on the job, sometimes simple changes can greatly improve or diminish a person's quality of life. We live in a fast-paced world with ever-increasing pressure to do things faster and cheaper. If you are involved in the management of workers' compensation claims, you know this to be true. No matter what your role in workers' compensation, whether your are a physician, a nurse case manager, an adjuster, or a manager for a large company, you know that every day there is increasing emphasis to do more with less, be more efficient, and keep costs low. 

Streamlining saves money, or does it?

Because of this constant pressure to do things faster and cheaper, we streamline. Streamlining is good, right? Streamlining allows us to get more done and it saves money. But what are the real cost savings? You may save a buck today, but what other costs may be lurking down the road? By streamlining, we don't always get to see the big picture, and it becomes easier to miss the obvious facts that are right in front of us...

Claimant confined to wheelchair, can't access his home.

This story is about an injured worker who, due to his work-related injury, is confined to a wheelchair. He lives in a small trailer. The manual wheelchair he had been prescribed did not allow him to access his kitchen, bedroom or bathroom. He wasn't even able to use the ramp to his home because his wheelchair was too wide. Can you imagine how frustrating this must have been for the claimant?

Total Medical Solutions asked to perform home evaluation.

Total Medical Solutions was asked to do a home evaluation on this case. So, a rehab technician from Total Medical Solutions visited the claimant. Upon observing the claimant in his home, the rehab technician recommended a narrower, light-weight wheelchair. Somehow this detail was missed when the initial wheelchair was prescribed. Could it have been because no one bothered to visit the claimant in his home before ordering the wheelchair? Whatever the reason, obvious facts were overlooked. Decisions were made that negatively impacted this claimant's quality of life.

Two eyes are better than none, when it comes to managing complex claims that is.

So, what is the moral of this story? We all have to streamline in order to perform our jobs. However, considering all the technology we use, along with clinical protocols and databases of information we access to make decisions faster and cheaper, sometimes a pair of eyes is the best thing for the job; or in this case, for the claimant.

As you look to streamline your work flow, partner with vendors who are experienced in workers' compensation. When you partner with the right vendors, streamlining is a very good thing. The right vendor partners will help you save money now and in the future. How? they'll help you manage your claims the right way, the first time around.